Would it be bad for America if the GOP became irrelevant?

[moondust]

25. Historically, I think one-party rule has usually ended up with some tyranny.

Last edited Fri Nov 16, 2012, 04:28 AM - Edit history (2)

That's always a danger.

However, I think most of those parties were not too diverse and either started out being intolerant or became intolerant as they realized, were corrupted by, and abused their unchallenged power.

I tend to think the Democratic Party of today, with the current primary system and recognition and acceptance of independents like Bernie Sanders, is probably diverse and accommodating enough to avoid any danger of tyranny. In fact, just tonight in her interview with Rachel Maddow it was nice to hear Nancy Pelosi describe how she and her caucus operate on a bottom-up consensus basis (unlike the apparent top-down Republican corporate/lockstep/military/dictatorial model). But as others have pointed out, either another major party would form or the Democratic Party would split or something so there would still be elections offering voters a choice.

I've often felt that anything to the right of, say, the Blue Dogs has no redeeming value in 21st Century politics and should be relegated to fringe group status.

Good question. Thanks for posting.